‘Today, the speed of change is faster than your speed of changing’

The rapid evolution of technology and the evolving nature of business pose a formidable challenge for companies striving to equip their workforce with relevant skills on demand. In today’s landscape, this challenge is especially pronounced. It comes as no surprise that the most adaptable and robust organisations are prioritising upskilling as a strategic mandate.

In this exclusive interview with Shirin Sehgal, Chief People Officer (CPO) of PwC India, we delve into the transformative shifts impacting organisational landscapes today and the resultant implications for L&D agendas. 

Sehgal provides insights into how PwC India is strategically aligning with market trends, emphasising the emergence of captives and the robust growth of the domestic market. She elaborates on the organisation’s redefined approach towards providing end-to-end solutions, integrating management and tech consulting, and fostering specialised skill sets. 

Moving towards a mindset change

PwC India, in a bid to stay ahead of the curve, has had some very significant shifts in the last year – the organisation is trying to match the way the market is unfolding and reorganising itself. The market has captives as a new area of work, and the domestic market is becoming extremely strong from a revenue standpoint. Of course, working with some of the big corporate houses has also been given a lot of impetus. There is also the work that PwC India continues to support and do for the network, because a lot of international global offices continue to reply on the firm’s support to deliver work to clients both in India and abroad.

Sehgal believes this is a pretty accurate dipstick of the market: “And if I look even more closely, firms want to go end-to-end, i.e. they want to come in, suggest, diagnose, transform, build the solution, implement the solution, and then operate the solution. So we have reorganised ourselves and today we see ourselves as a combination of management consulting and tech consulting.” She adds that there is also increased hiring for skillsets that PwC wants to invest in, namely captives. 

When it comes to upskilling, PwC is looking at changing the mindset of people and they have a global framework that gives them a direction in terms of what their trusted investments are and what the desired outcomes should be, from a behaviour standpoint. Sehgal also talked about PwC India’s focus on the technical aspect of upskilling by asking pertinent questions such as which area needs to be focused on and how quickly employees can be trained. PwC India is also focused on building leaders for tomorrow. She says, “It is our leadership that leads from the front by implementing these changes, and this effect trickles down to the last employee level, creating an environment that fosters the required competencies and behaviours.” 

Creating a learning environment

Sehgal thinks the biggest challenge that every organisation faces nowadays is that the speed of change is faster than your speed of changing. “I think our predictive way of working, the leadership insights, the connections we have in the industry, the work that we do for our clients, all that is being used to predict the kind of work that is going to come to the organisation,” she says, further adding that to keep itself agile, PwC India has made some infrastructure changes around learning and will soon be introducing a global tool that is GenAI-based. “This tool will help our workforce focus on learning. It will help employees choose what they should be learning, how they want to learn, if they need a career shift. The tool will also be on a suggestive mode to keep people uncomfortable to the extent of saying that you haven’t completed or you’re not adhering or you’re not doing your due, or you’re not at the proficiency level that you need to be at.” 

Sehgal is of the opinion that the days of people management where the people manager would huddle people on the floor and ask if everybody finished their training are long gone. “More GenAI-based solutions will become mainstream from a learning standpoint. While this will promote employee self-service, there is going to be enough push that is going to be created in the infrastructure for the employees to thrive,” she said.

A GenAI-powered future of work

The integration of GenAI has significantly permeated PwC India’s organisational culture, largely driven by its leadership. Sanjeev Krishan, at the helm, fervently advocates for its adoption, making it a pivotal component of KPIs. GenAI and automation, alongside efficiency, productivity, and transformation, stand as mandatory KPIs for all team members. Additionally, within the leadership team, there’s a concerted effort to undergo a comprehensive process diagnostic. This involves a meticulous examination of workflows, engaging with functional experts, and conducting in-depth analyses to identify areas of improvement and address workflow inefficiencies. PwC India is prioritising the integration of AI-based technology, automation, and analytics solutions to streamline workflows across the organisation comprehensively. This initiative aims to enhance operational efficiency and foster seamless integration, emphasising the importance of a holistic approach to technological advancement.

Crafting a resilient workforce

An important aspect of work today is attracting the right talent, especially at the entry level. Sehgal highlights an initiative that pertains to the firm’s campus-to-manager programmes, which cater to individuals entering the workforce directly from educational institutions. Over the past year, PwC India has witnessed a substantial influx of young talent, with approximately 3,000 individuals joining us from campuses. This number amounted to around 1,900 the previous year, indicating a significant focus on nurturing fresh talent. 

“Our approach involves providing intensive on-the-job training spanning three to six months, coupled with tailored programmes, certifications, and exposure to leadership roles. Moreover, participants are deployed on various projects, offering them valuable oversight opportunities,” Sehgal explains. She adds that PwC India has also established strategic partnerships with technology firms, facilitating access to specialised courses and sector-wide training. This initiative has evolved from an organic process to a structured programme and is now transitioning into a more established framework at PwC India. Moving forward, the organisation aims to enhance this programme through alliances, in-house faculty, and a hybrid delivery model, ensuring comprehensive skill development and organisational alignment.

“We place significant emphasis on digital upskilling and our efforts encompass two primary approaches: firstly, through GenAI-based solutions, and secondly, through self-learning modules,” Sehgal says. Additionally, PwC India integrates on-the-job deployment-based training to further enhance skills. While the organisation recognises the importance of digital upskilling, it also acknowledges that there’s still room for growth. “We consider it a fundamental aspect of our training curriculum and are committed to furthering its integration across all levels within the organisation,” Sehgal adds.

Commitment to employee development

When talking of the percentage of training requirements defined by business units versus those based on, say, historical requirements, Sehgal says that the numbers remain consistent as the organisation’s resources are synonymous with time and investment. “We uphold a significant commitment to training, with employees dedicating approximately 10 to 15% of their time to skill development, encompassing technical certifications and recertifications essential for client-facing roles, such as taxation and audit. These training efforts are complemented by leadership development programmes and role transition initiatives, which are integral to our organisational culture,” Sehgal says, further adding that there’s rigorous adherence to accountability frameworks, ensuring that training obligations are met consistently. “Thus, our training regimen goes above and beyond mandated requirements, reflecting our steadfast dedication to employee development,” she adds.

Measuring the ROI of training 

As more and more organisations focus on creating training programmes and upskilling initiatives for their employees, it is critical, from a business point of view, to keep track of measuring their impact. How does an organisation like PwC India measure the ROI of training? Sehgal says that for PwC it revolves around the time it takes to deploy a trained individual effectively. “If a person, after undergoing training and interviews, experiences delays in deployment, it indicates either a deficiency in the network or the individual’s suitability for the role. Typically, the issue lies with the individual rather than the training, as our training programmes adhere to established industry standards. Therefore, deployment time serves as a crucial evaluative metric for us,” she explains.

Additionally, PwC India measures success by the individual’s qualification, particularly in centrally funded programmes like MBA and network acceleration certifications. Successful completion of these programmes results in reimbursement of fees, highlighting the importance of certification as a success indicator. Moreover, success is also gauged by the continuous development of skills and the ability to adapt to future challenges, ensuring both personal and organisational resilience.

Rapid fire

What percentage of your training is done in-house versus external training houses? 

I think 70 to 80% is in-house. But 25% is outward-placed, where we need external faculty to come in. But our coaching mechanism is mostly external, it’s not internal.

On average, how many training days per employee do you plan for excluding sessions for freshers?

It is different for different levels. From a work standpoint, around 15 to 20% of an employee’s time can be spent on training.

As a strategy, what percentage of your training is just in time or just in case?

As a strategy, our training approach predominantly leans towards just-in-time methodologies, although its current implementation is minimal. We recognise the importance of transitioning towards a just-in-time model to enhance deployability effectively. We meticulously look at aligning individuals’ specific programme needs with current and future organisational requirements, such as account development, sectoral advancements, and skill development for forthcoming projects. However, we offer a third layer of off-the-shelf training, encompassing fundamental skills such as software, business communication, and influencing, facilitated through leading learning platforms. These resources provide employees with access to a diverse range of courses, fostering a just-in-case training environment conducive to continuous learning and skill enrichment.

Does your organisation prefer to build talent internally or buy financial resources?

I think we strive for a balance of both. This is because we’ve just grown in the last two or three years. Till 2019, we were at 9,000 employees. Every year, we have been hiring 15,000 more. And today we are 30,000 people, and next year, we’ll end up at around 32,000. So, at 32,000 people, I know I have a fair mix of build and buy. And I also borrow, because I also have a lot of contractual work that I continue to use in terms of my deployments, work projects, technology, and areas of work that I need to intervene in for short periods. So, I think the build-buy-borrow model works.